Method of forming dolls from tubular blanks



. H. NELKE. METHOD OF FORMING DO LLS FROM TUBULAR BLANKS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 7, I920- Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1:

H. NELKE.

METHOD OF FORMING DOLLS FROM TUBULAR BLANKS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7. 1920.

1,354,331, I PatentedSept. 28,1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

METHOD OF FORMING DOLLS FROM TUBULAR BLANKS.

Application filed February '7, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY NELKE, a citizen of the United States,residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented Methods of FormingDolls from Tubular Blanks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to dolls, and the object of my invention is toprovide a novel method of forming dolls from tubular blanks, such as,for example, the tubular blanks used for stockings and the like.

In the attached drawings:

Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, are views showing successive steps in theformation of the doll and the details;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a doll made in accordance with myinvention;

Fig. 8, is a view illustrating the preferred method of cutting theblank, and

r Fig. 9, is a view of a modified form of the doll.

With reference to the drawings, Fig. 2, shows a tubular blank 1 ofmaterial, knitted in the present instance, from which my doll is formed.As the first step in the operation, I may cut a lateral slit 2 in theblank intermediate the ends thereof. The slit 2 may be of any lengthdesired and may be located at any point intermediate the ends of theblank, but in the present instance I show the slit substantially equalin length to one-half the circumference of the blank and locates at adistance from one end of the blank approximately equal to one-fourth thelength of the blank, this length and position of the slit having beenfound suitable.

I may now form the legs of the doll by cutting from the lower end of theblank '1, which is laid flat with the slit2 centered in one facethereof, a substantially V- shaped section 4, said section extendinglongitudinally upward from the lower edge. The severed edges of thematerial are then stitched together along the sides and bottoms of thethus formed leg elements, thereby closing completely the lower end ofthe blank. The legs may be formed by cutting away sections of differentshape than the section 4, or in fact by merely slitting the blanklongitudinally from the lower edge to a point which represents thecrotch of the legs.

To the edge of the slit 2, I now attach a face piece 3. This face piececonsists, in the present instance, of a rectan ular piece of material,one edge of which I have shown Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

Serial No. 356.857.

sewed to the lower or inner edge 2 of the slit 2. Substantially the sameresult may be accomplished by attaching the face piece to the outer edgeof the slit 2. It is desirable, where knitted material is employed inthe blank, to stitch the cut edges of the slit,

and in such instance the face piece may be attached in this'samestitching operation.

The upper edges of the blank may now be stitched together, and in orderto give a rounded effect to the head, the corners 1 and 1 may be cutaway, as shown. The tubular body portion is now closed at both ends, andthe slit 2 alone gives access to the interior.

I preferably form each of the arms from two similar fiat pieces ofmaterial 5, of the general shape shown in Fig. 4, the two pieces in eachcase being stitched together around the edges with the exception of theend edges 5 The arm members thus formed are first stuffed with cotton orother suit- .able substance, and are then secured to the body blankalong the edges 5. Preferably, a short slit 6 is formed in each side ofthe body portion through which the edges 5 of the arm elements may beinserted, and the arms may thus be secured to the body by stitching onthe inside, a very neat effect being obtained; or the edges of the armelemcnt may merely be pinched between the sides of a tuck in the bodyportion, in which case the necessity for the'slit 6 is avoided. It hasalso been found to add greatly to the general appearance of the doll totake a lateral tuck 7 in the body blank at a point slightly above thecrotch, as shown in Fig. 1.

The body and legs of the doll may now be stuffed with cotton or othersuitable material through the slit 2, and when the whole has beensufliciently stuffed, including the top portion, the face piece 8 isturned upwardlyand the free end thereof inserted under the upper edge ofthe slit and beneath the front of the top portion of the blank, the facepiece in this position closing the opening formed by the slit 2.- Itwill be found that the portion of the blank above the slit 2 forms anatural hood for the doll, while suflicient of the piece 3 is exposed torepresent the face of the doll. The upper and end edges of the slit 2may now be stitched to the face piece to prevent the latter beingwithdrawn from the hood and the stufling being lost, and features may beprinted, painted or otherwise marked upon the said face piece eitherbefore or after it is secured in position. A collar band or ribbon 8,placed around the doll and suitably attached, is drawn tight to form theneck. 7

Where the doll is manufactured in large quantities, it is preferablethat the tubular blank be cut in the manner indicated in Fig. 8. Bylaying the blank flat and using knives or dies shaped to accord with thenecessary cuts, all of the said cuts may be made in one continuousoperation without moving the blank from the flat position. In otherwords, the portion 9 may be cut fromthe top, the slit 2 formed, and theportions 10 and 11 cut away at the bottom by three or four strokes ofthe knives or dies, and when the blank is refolded to bring the slit 2into one face of the blank, as in Figs. 2 and 8, it will be found thatthe blank has substantially the identical shape shown in the Figs.

2and 3.

It is, of course, unnecessary .to form the leg members, and the lowerportion may be left whole and the lower edges joined so that a skirt isrepresented. Or, if desired, gussets '12 and 13, Fig. 9, may be attachedto give a flare to the skirt. The doll is subject to many modificationswith no departure from the essential features of the invention.

The doll is an extremely simple one to manufacture, and is durable andattractive.

I claim:

1; The method of forming a doll from a tubular blank,which comprisesforming an opening in the side thereof, closing the open ends of saidblank, stuffing the blank with a filler, and securing a face pieceacross said opening to close the same, substantiallyas described.

'2. The method-of forming a den from a tubular blank, which comprisesslitting said.

blank transversely around a portion of the circumference thereof,attaching a flap to one edge of said slit, uniting the upper and loweredges of said blank, stuffing the blank with a filler, and turning thefree end of said flap under the free edge of said slit to close theopening made thereby.

3. The method of forming a doll from a tubular blank, which comprisesslitting said blank transversely around a portion of the circumferencethereof, attaching a flap to "ing the'blank with a filler, and turningthe free end of said flap under the free edge of the slit to close theopening formed thereby.

4-.T he method of forming a doll from a tubular blank, which comprisesslitting said blank transversely around a portion of the circumferencethereof, attaching a flap to one edge of said slit, cutting portionsfrom the lower portion of the blank to form leg members, forming a tuckextending around the blank at a point near the crotch of said le s,uniting theinner edges and bottoms of said leg members, rounding off theupper end ofthe blank, uniting the uppercurved edges of the blank,attaching arm members to the sides of the body, stufling the blank with.a filler, turning the free'end of the said flap under the free edge ofthe slit to close the opening formed thereby, and stitching the saidfree edge of the slit to the flap.

5. The method of'forming a doll from a head, cutting away portions ateach side of the bottom of the blank to form legs, and

cutting a transverse slit at one side to pro vide an openingintermediate the ends of the blank for the reception of a face element.

6. As. an article of manufacture, a form for stuffed dolls comprising ahollow body member having an opening intermediate the ends thereofthrough which'a filler may be' stuffed, and a" flap having a facedepicted thereon attached to the body portion at one side of saidopening and adapted to be in sorted underthe edges thereof to close thesaid opening. V J

7. A dollicomprising a stuffed body member having an openingintermediate the ends thereof, and a flap of material having a facedepicted thereon disposed across said opening to close the same,substantially as described. a

HARRY NELKE.

